Chicago News
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In his Budget Address last month, Gov. JB Pritzker asked lawmakers to send him a standalone sports-betting bill, instead of working to craft an omnibus gambling package that would include sports betting, using the common statehouse metaphor of a “Christmas tree,” which tends to collapse under its own weight.
A gaming table. [Ralf Steinberger/Flickr]
Pritzker’s proposed budget relies on $170 million in licensing and other fees the state would charge to get sports betting — which last summer was essentially legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court — off the ground in Illinois, with the promise of $200 million in annual tax revenues later. The governor asked for urgency in the legalization effort.
“Every day we argue about who’s in and who’s out is money that goes to other states and to the black market,” Pritzker said.
Related: Pritzker vows ‘constrained’ budget proposal will chart new course for Illinois
State Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Chicago), who has long advocated for various forms of gambling expansion, took the governor’s advice and on Thursday will file four amendments to HB 3308, to offer four different models of legalized sports betting for lawmakers to debate. Those four choices, Zalewski said, will hopefully jump start negotiations on the bill.
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The steep decline in the number of students enrolling in Chicago Public Schools will continue for at least the next three years, according to a new district analysis. County officials put off proposals to end some tax breaks for vacant properties, as well as a plan to allow some defendants to appear by video in front of a judge.
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MAR 20, 2019
UNLOCKEDA new campaign ad in Chicago’s race for city treasurer is calling out Ald. Ameya Pawar for his chronic absences at City Council committee meetings.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin, left, and Ameya Pawar. [Submitted]
The 30-second spot, called “Every Day,” is funded by Pawar’s opponent, Democratic state Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin, D-Chicago.
The ad highlights data from an analysis by WBEZ and The Daily Line, which found the 47th Ward alderman has one of the lowest attendance rates in the City Council. Pawar went to less than half of the committee meetings he was required to. That was below the average 65 percent attendance rate for all 50 aldermen.
Read More: How Often Did Your Alderman Show Up To Work At City Hall?
“Ameya Pawar is a typical politician,” the voice-over in the video begins. “Pawar’s missed more than half his meetings as alderman.”
It goes on to ding Pawar for voting in favor of the city’s record property tax hike in 2015. The ominous soundtrack flips to jubilant music when Conyears-Ervin is introduced as she appears to walk the city talking with voters.
A person familiar with the Conyears-Ervin campaign said they placed a $190,000 ad buy for the commercial to run on all local TV stations this week, and expects to spend more next week before the April 2 runoff election.
Pawar’s campaign shot back in an emailed statement, saying that he has a 95 percent attendance rate at full City Council meetings. But that only includes monthly meetings, and not the vast majority of subject-specific committee hearings where aldermen can make changes to legislation and hear testimony.
The alderman also called Conyears-Ervin “a machine backed Springfield politician” who voted in favor of a state income tax hike, while Pawar highlighted his record on “social justice and government reform.”
Pawar and Conyears-Ervin will go head to head in next month’s runoff election because neither of them garnered a majority in the first round of voting on Feb. 26. The city treasurer oversees the city’s bank accounts and its investment portfolio.
Conyears-Ervin is the wife of 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin. Pawar is nearing the end of his second term on the City Council. Though there are no official term limits for Chicago aldermen, Pawar has long said he would leave after two terms. In 2018, he abandoned a longshot run for governor before the March Democratic primary.
Recent polling shows both candidates in a dead-heat ahead of the April 2 election. -
MAR 19, 2019
As early voting expands citywide, North Side wards — including some where Lori Lightfoot showed the most strength during the first round of voting — and young voters led the way. Two more incumbent aldermen facing tough runoffs benefited from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s promise to leave no City Council ally behind.
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Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6) — facing an unexpected runoff against accountant Deborah Foster-Bonner on April 2 — has his fingers crossed that history won’t repeat itself.
Deborah Foster-Bonner, left, and Roderick Sawyer. [Submitted photos]
Eight years ago, 6th Ward Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, who was first appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1998, won 44.5 percent of the vote in the first round of voting.
In his first race for office, Sawyer, the son of a former mayor taking on the establishment’s preferred candidate, finished with 25 percent.
Despite Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s support, union and business backing, Lyle lost to Sawyer by 104 votes in the runoff.
After all of the votes cast Feb. 26 were counted, Sawyer ended up three votes shy of the 50-percent-plus-one threshold to win re-election. Foster-Bonner won 31 percent of the vote.
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Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot rolled up a series of high-profile endorsements while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, including U.S. Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and several African American aldermen, while members of the Cook County Board began to line up support to replace President Toni Preckwinkle, should she defeat Lightfoot on April 2.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said she's backing a new state law to ensure the rights of. arrestees are protected. [A.D. Quig/The Daily Line]
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Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey displays the unions demands for a new contract at a January news conference. [Heather Cherone/The Daily Line]The first proposal from city and school officials to Chicago Teachers Union leaders would “roll back key wins for better learning conditions,” the union told its members — and urged them to begin saving in case of a strike.
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MAR 15, 2019
Are you ready for round two? Voters eager to make their pick for mayor and treasurer — and residents of 15 wards with aldermanic runoffs — can head Downtown to cast their ballot. Lori Lightfoot continued her clean-sweep of endorsements from former rivals, while Toni Preckwinkle added another labor organization to her long list of union backers.
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Lawmakers should raise the state’s gas tax to “raise significant and stable funds for infrastructure,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s transportation task force recommended Thursday.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood shows off a copy of the task force's report as Mayor Rahm Emanuel looks on. [Chicago Mayor's Office]
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The Chicago Board of Elections has released its proclamation for the April 2 runoff — all Chicago voters will have the opportunity to vote in runoffs for mayor and city treasurer, and 15 wards will have aldermanic runoffs.
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MAR 14, 2019
After notching two high-profile victories at a tense City Council meeting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel allowed himself a brief victory lap at his penultimate post-Council news conference — but vowed once again to “run through the tape” at the end of his term as mayor.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel allowed himself a brief victory lap at his penultimate post-Council news conference — but vowed once again to “run through the tape” at the end of his term as mayor. [Heather Cherone/The Daily Line]
